GIRLS BASKETBALL: Greencastle-Antrim hoping youth is a virtue

Thursday

Dec 6, 2012 at 11:00 AM

By Ben Destefan

GREENCASTLE — It's now a matter of continuing what they started.

Under first-year head coach Mike Rhine, the Greencastle-Antrim girls basketball team made its first postseason appearance since 1998, with the Blue Devils winning nine of their final 12 games en route to a 13-10 overall record.

Looking back, Rhine's inaugural campaign set a foundation for a program still attempting to take the next step, something G-A will try to do behind a wealth of young, up-and-coming talent.

Considering her experience at the varsity level, now in her third year, Hoover will be asked to assume a leadership role on a team comprised of four juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen.

"When you look at the percentage of production that we lost from last year, it's clear everyone has to step up," Rhine said. "Chloe and Katie (Gelsinger) are our only two girls with any varsity experience, so we have to be patient and play to our individual strengths. There is so much potential, but we realize that there are going to be bumps in the road."

After contributing valuable minutes as a freshman a year ago, Gelsinger will transition into a solidified starter, granting G-A a prominent presence in the paint.

"Katie gives us a quality post player who isn't selfish," Rhine said. "She has the ability to attack the basket, but also kick it back out to our shooters."

Perhaps the most noticeable change will be at point guard, with freshman Hannah Crist assuming the role previously held by Smothers.

"Hannah is a terrific ball handler with plenty of physical skill," Rhine explained. "Every time she steps onto the court, she is improving. She has some big shoes to fill, but she's capable of handling it as a freshman."

Jane Herman is slated to join Crist along the perimeter, continuing to build off last year's breakout junior varsity campaign.

"Jane is a solid outside shooter and a good defender," Rhine said. "She scored a ton of points on the JV team last season, so we're excited to have her."

The duo of Ashlynn Schaeffer and Abbey Pool will complement Gelsinger around the basket, sharing minutes at forward.

"Both Ashlynn and Abbey are very physical players," Rhine said. "They will help Katie inside, grabbing rebounds and boxing out."

Rhine is also expecting big things from freshman addition Meghan Hirneisen, along with reserves Shelby Stouffer and Lauren Powers.

"Meghan is going to be a great player, we just need to get her some time on the floor," Rhine explained. "Shelby and Lauren add to our depth at guard and both are extremely athletic."

With so many new faces, it's hard to predict how things will ultimately unfold over the next three months. One thing that is for sure — G-A's young cast will be asked to grow up very quickly.

"As many minutes as our younger girls are going to get right away, they're not going to truly be freshmen or sophomores anymore," Rhine explained. "They will be getting the same amount of playing time as a typical junior or senior, so they're going to get plenty of experience in the first few weeks. Once we get past that point, I honestly believe things will come together. If we can weather the learning curve early, we can still be right in the mix for a league title at the end."

The Blue Devils open their season Friday night in the annual Franklin County Tip-Off Tournament against the hosting Maidens of Waynesboro. The contest is set to get underway at 7 p.m. with the winner playing either Chambersburg or James Buchanan in Saturday's championship game.

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